Counting device.



W. BOUGE &1.B.WEIS1V11LLER.

COUNTING DEVICEv APPLICATION FILED MAY-1,1916.

Patented Dec. 1

nu: Noam: rzrcns co., wuamummwasumcmn. n. c.

WILLIAM Bones, or NUTLEY, NEW JERSEY, AND Jol-IN B. wnrsrainnnn, or NEW YORK, N. Y.

CONTING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

)Patented Dec. 12, 1916.

Application filed May 4, 1916. Serial No. 95,383.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, WILLIAM BoDGn and JOHN B. WnrsMrLLEn, citizens of the United States, and residents, respectively, of Nutley, county of Essex, State of New Jersey, and New York, county of Bronx, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Counting Devices, o f which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in counting devices arranged for attachment to machines for making or operating upon envelops or other articles, whereby the work may be automatically counted during delivery by laterally displacing from its normal path of travel one of said articles from each predetermined number thereof, thus dividing the delivery into equal groups or series; the device being particularly adapted to high speed machines in which the articles are delivered in spaced relation to each other at a comparatively rapid rate of speed.

The object of the invention is to provide means for effecting such lateral displacement instantaneously to avoid disturbing the' work on opposite sides thereof.

The invention further includes the general arrangement and the detail construction of the several parts thereof, as hereinafter set forth.

In describing the invention in detail, reference is had to the accompanying drawings, forming a lpart of this specification, and wherein like characters of reference are used to designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which:

Figure 1 is a. diagrammatical plan view of an ordinary delivery of an envelop machine, shown in connection with the improved counting device; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same; Fig. 3 is an enlarged side view showing the detail construction of the counter, and Fig. 4 is an end view of the latter.

In the drawings numeral 1 designates a plate or bracket for supporting the operating parts of the counter, land 2, an arm formed on the bracket and adapted to be secured in any approved manner to the main machine on which the counter is to be applied. Fixed to the bracket is a stud 3, on which are loosely mounted the jointly connected ratchet-wheel 4 and trip-cam 5. Loosely mounted upon the stud 3 between the bracket and ratchet-wheel is a rock-arm 6 carrying a pawl 7, arranged to engage the ratchet-wheel and effect a step-by-step rotation thereof, the free end of the rock-arm being pivotally jointed to a connection-rod S, arranged to receive reciprocating movements from a convenient motive element of the main machine and effect an advance step movement of the ratchet-wheel at the deliv ery of each envelop. The trip-cam 5 is provided with an abrupt drop, or trip member 9, and forms therewith an eccentric perimeter or working face 10, disposed to engage the upper end of the oscillatory actuating member or lever 11, the latter being pivotally supported intermediate its ends by a shouldered stud formed on the bracket 1, the lever being held in place thereon by the terminal screw 12 and washer 13. At its lower end the lever is pivotally connected with a triprod 14, which is provided with a drive-tooth 15, adapted to engage a catch 16, fixed to the thrust-bar 17, the drive-rod being normally held in engagement with the catch by the spring 18, connected at its upper end to the bracket 1 by the pin 19.

rIhe thrust-bar 17 is pivotally supported at its upper end on a shouldered stud 20, formed on the bracket 1, and is held in place thereon by the terminal screw and washer' shown. The thrust-bar 17 and trip-rod 14 are laterally Guided for movement by the projecting right-angle block 21, formed on the bracket 1, the block being provided with guide recesses inclosed by the right-angle cover-plate 22. As herein shown, the thrustbar is angular in form and is provided with a projecting thrust member Q3, adapted to engage the work to be operated upon. ik resilient spring 24 is connected at one end to the thrust-bar and at its opposite end to the pin 24a, fixed to the bracket 1. 'Ihe spring 24 normally holds the thrust-bar inv the retracted position shown in full lines, and for projecting the bar into the position indicated in dotted lines, against the action of this spring, a second spring 25 of increased tensionis employed, the latter being connected at one end to the upper end of the actuating lever 11, while the opposite end of the spring is secured to a pin 26, fixed in the bracket 1.

In the operative rotation of the trip-cani 5, the trip-member 9 thereof releases the actuating lever 11, permitting an yinstantaneous movement of the latter by the action of the recoil spring connected thereto, which movement causes a correspondingly rapid forward or projecting motion both in the trip-rod 14 and in the thrust-bar 1-7. lllhe forward movement of the trip-rod is limited by the engagement-ofthe upper-end ofthe actuating lever 11 with the low portion of the trip-cam 5, as indicated in dotted Klines, while the forward movement of the thrustbar '1'7 is limited'by-the Vengagement of the beveled yportion 27 ofthe trip-rod 14 with the stop V28, causingithe ytrip-rod-to-be depressed and-released or'tripped from its connection with the catch `16, whereupon the thrust-bar Vwill be :instantaneously retracted by the `action of thespring 24. As the stepby-step rotation ofthe trip-came continues in its cycle of cOunting'actiOn, the engagement thereof xwith the lever -11 causes a gradual return movement ofthe trip-rod '14 to its former retracted tripping position. To 4provide against an accidentalbaclward lmovement ofthe-trip-cam and ratchet-wheel,

an ordinary stop pawl 29 yis employed, and to provide against. accidental yforward movement,a'tension deviceis used, consisting of a collar 30, adjustable longitudinally on the end of thefixed stud '3, the collar being yieldingly connected `to-the "friction 'washer 31 bythe spring3la. The several parts of the vtension device are lconnected `together against rotation and the washerr31 isyieldingly held in frictional engagement 4.with the side face of thetrip-cam 5 by ymeans of the set-screw 30a.

L'In "the application ofthe counting device to an envelop machine :provided with the commonform'of delivery mechanism shown inFigs. '1 and 2, wherein numerals, 32 designatea portion of a pair of-rotatable-delivery wheels, partially-encircled by the belts 33, which'latterpass around ulleys 34,1ixed to a rotatable conveyer-shaiit I35, Vthe latter being provided with'conveyerbelts '36,"leading to any desired point. Above the conveyer belts 36 are disposed a portion of a pair of Vendless cords 37, extending around the idler `pulleys 38, the latter mounted on arms 39, .wherebythe position of the'cords with respect to the belts may be adjusted .forguiding and controllingthe upper edges the; support-therefor maybe connected in any approved manner to a fixed part of the main machine. Also for actuating the counter,

any convenient movable member of the machine may be employed whereby oscillatory ,movements may be had corresponding with of the lrota-table conveyer-shaft 35, the cam being provided with the required nulnber of actuating surfaces for engaging the oscillatory arm 43, pivotally connected 'to the lixed support 44. The movements ofthe arm 43 are Atransmitted through -the above-mentioned connecting-rod S to 'the rock-arm 6 of thecounter.

Asfthusfeonnected 4foroperation it will be obviousthatthe thrust-bar 17 of the counter will be instantaneously projected land retracted at each revolution of the ratchetwheel 4, which, as herein shown contains twenty-five teeth, corresponding with the number ofenvelops delivered-per revolution. inthe-position shown rin lFig.3, the cam 5 oflthe counter isabout to `trip theflever 11 for effecting the projection of the thrust-bar 17 andlaterally displacing from its normal path of rtravel -an envelop carried on the delivery-belts'36, the 'former action of the thrust-'bar being indicated bythe displaced envelop v45, the advanced'position of which shows the-result of its operationin dividing the delivered work-into groups or series con- .taining an egual number'of'parts.

`Itwill beobviousthat the counting device with respect toits divisional action uponthe work mayfbevaried for any required lnumber; by-replacin g the ratchet-wheel and tripcam with corresponding parts having the desired number of teeth and trip members respectively, and it also will'be evident that the instantaneous action of thethrust-bar upontlie articlesto be displaced will'permit of a relatively rapid rate of delivery without accidental displacement of the adjacent work.

What we claim as our invention yand desire to secure by Letters `Patent, is:

.1. In a counting device, a thrust-bar, resilient means ,normally retracting said thrust-bar, resilientmeans normally adapted to'project said thrust-bar in opposition to said retracting means, means controlling'the action of said resilient projecting means, means for periodically tripping said controlling means and/projecting said thrustbar, and means for tripping said projecting means yto permit the retraction of said thrustbar.

v2. In a counting device, a thrust-bar, resilient means normally retracting said thrust-bar,` aitrip-rod engaging said thrustbar, resilient means engaging said trip-rod and normally adapted to project said thrust- 1 ,208,083 ll "lt bar in opposition to said retracting means, a trip-cam controlling the action of said triprod, means for tripping said trip-cam to permit the action of said trip-rod, and means for tripping said trip-rod to permit the retraction of said thrust-bar.

3. The combination with a conveyer arranged for delivering articles in spaced relation with each other, of a counting device therefor comprising a thrust-bar, resilient means for retracting said thrust-bar, resilient means for projecting said thrust-bar in opposition to said retracting means for engaging and displacing one of the articles in each predetermined number thereof during delivery, .and means for tripping said projecting means to permit the retraction of said thrust-bar.

1l. The combination with a conveyer arranged for delivering articles in spaced relation with each other, of a counting device therefor' comprising a thrust-bar, resilient means for retracting said thrust-bar, resilient means for projecting said thrust-bar in opposition to said retracting means for engaging and displacing one of the articles in each predetermined number thereof during delivery, a trip-cam controlling the action of said projecting means, means for tripping said trip-cam at the delivery7 of each predetermined number of articles, and means for tripping said projecting means to permit the retraction of said thrust-bar.

5. In a counting device, the combination with a support, of a thrust-bar mounted on said support, resilient means normally retracting said thrust-bar, a trip-rod engaging said thrust-bar, resilient means carried by said support and acting through said trip-rod to project said thrust-bar in opposition to said resilient retracting means, and means for tripping said trip-rod to permit the retraction of said thrust-bar.

6. In a counting device, the combination with a support, of a thrust-bar mounted on said support, resilient means normally retracting said thrust-bar, a trip-cam rotatably mounted on said support, an actuating member engaging said trip-cam, a trip-rod connected to said actuating member and engaging said thrust-bar, resilient means connected to said actuating member and effecting said trip-cam engagement, means for rotating said trip-cam for the release of said actuating member whereby said thrust-bar is projected by the recoil of said resilient means thereof, and means for tripping said trip-rod to permit the retraction of said thrust-bar.

7 In a device for counting articles in movement, the combination with a support adjacent the path thereof, of a thrust-bar mounted on said support, resilient means normally retracting said thrust-bar, a tripcam rotatably mounted on said support, an

actuating member engaging said trip-cam, a trip-rod connected to said actuating member and engaging said thrust-bar, resilient means connected to said actuating member and effecting said trip-cam engagement, means for rotating said trip-cam for the release of said actuating member whereby the said thrust-bar is projected by the recoil of said resilient means for engagement with the articles in movement, and means for tripping said trip-rod to permit the retraction of said thrust-bar.

S. In a counting device, the combination with a thrust-bar, of resilient means normally retracting said thrust-bar, a trip-rod detachably connected to said thrust-bar, resilient means operating through said triprod to project said thrust-bar in opposition to said resilient retracting means, and means for tripping said trip-rod.

9. In a counting device, the combination with a thrust-bar, of resilient means normally retracting said thrust-bar, a trip-rod detachably connected to said thrust-bar, an actuating member connecting said trip-rod, resilient means engaging said actuating member and operating through said trip-rod to project said thrust-bar in opposition to said retracting means, and means for tripping said trip-rod.

l0. In a counting device, the combination with a thrust-bar, of resilient means normally retracting said thrust-bar, a trip-rod detachably connected to said thrust-bar, an actuating member connecting said trip-rod, resilient means engaging said actuating member and operating through said triprod to project said thrust-bar in opposition to said retracting means, a trip-cam operatively engaging said actuating member in opposition to the tension of said resilient projecting means, means for rotating said trip-cam to trip said actuating member for the operation of said resilient projecting means, .and means for tripping said trip-rod.

ll. In a counting device, the combination with a thrust-bar, of resilient means normally retracting said thrust-bar, resilient means detachably connected to said thrustbar and normally projecting the same in opposition to said retracting means, a tripcam adapted to effect connection between said thrust-bar and resilient projecting means, tripping means on said trip-cam permitting the operation of said projecting means, and means for detaching the connection between said thrust-bar and projecting means.

12. In a device for counting articles in movement, the combination with a thrustba'r adapted to periodically displace one of the articles, of resilient means normally retracting said thrust-bar, resilient means detachably connected to said thrust-bar and normally projecting the same in opposition Vtto said retraoting means, .a trip-cam adaptconnection between said thrust-bar and proed to effect connection between said thrustjectingmeans.

f l0 bar and resilient projecting means, means Signed at New York, in the county of for effecting avstep by step movement of the New 1York and State of New York, this f cam corresponding with the successive dethird day of May, A. D. 1916.

livery of the articles, tripping means on said cam permitting the operation of said pro- WILLIAM BODGE. jecting means, and means for detachingthe JOHN B. WEISMILLER.

yGopies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, 1D. C. 

